Laser cutting is a technique that uses a laser to vaporize material to complete the cut. The laser beam hits the surface of the material and heats it intensely, causing it to melt or evaporate. Once the laser beam has completely penetrated the material at a certain point, the actual cutting process begins.
Laser cutting
Laser cutting works by directing a high-power laser output, most commonly through optics. Laser optics and computer numerical control are used to guide the material or the resulting laser beam. Typically, the process uses a motion control system to follow the CNC or G-code pattern to be cut into the material. A focused laser beam is aimed at the material, which then melts, burns, vaporizes, or is blown away by a gas, leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish.
Laser cutting machineis a kind of CNC machine tool, which obtains operation commands through computer language. While it is commonly used in industrial manufacturing, as the laser cutting machine price has fallen, it has also begun to be used by small businesses, construction and hobbyists.
Types and Applications of Laser Cutting Machines
There are three main types of laser cutting machines: CO2, Neodymium and Fiber. Each different type has its own advantages and areas of use.
CO2 laser cutting machine is the most common type because of its affordable price and unique advantages in cutting non-metallic fields.
The heart of a CO2 laser cutter is a long, vacuum-sealed tube filled with gas, mostly CO2, with some nitrogen mixed in. When the laser tube is energized, it excites the gas molecules and produces a strong light.
The laser beam is emitted from one end of the laser tube and reflected in a series of mirrors. Ultimately, the focusing lens concentrates the light into a very hot location. The laser beam then follows the geometry given by the system and cuts through a range of materials through thermal separation.
The CO2 laser cutting machine can complete engraving, cutting, hollowing and other processing processes on a series of non-metallic materials such as wood, acrylic, cloth, leather, and paper. Therefore, it is very popular in the advertising industry, clothing industry, handicraft processing and luggage making industry.
Fiber lasers are solid-state lasers that are growing rapidly in the metal cutting industry. Unlike CO2, fiber optic technology uses a solid gain medium, not a gas or liquid. Fiber lasers with a wavelength of only 1064 nanometers can produce extremely small spot sizes (up to 100 times smaller compared to CO2), making them ideal for cutting reflective metallic materials. This is one of the main advantages of fiber optics over CO2.
Fiber laser cutting machines are professionally used to cut metals such as stainless steel, carbon steel, brass, copper, aluminum, galvanized sheet and other materials. Because fiber laser cutters provide clean cuts and smooth surfaces. Fiber metal laser cutting machine is widely used for components and structural shapes, including hardware workpieces, mobile phone casings, bodywork, building materials, and more.
Link: Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Product List
Fiber laser cutting machine
Advantages of Laser Cutting Machines
The application and development of laser cutting machines have revolutionized the manufacturing industry. They can perfectly create designs made on a computer in minutes. Compared with other cutting processes, laser cutting has unique advantages.
Small cutting seam, high cutting quality
The slit created by laser cutting is only larger than the laser beam itself. This allows cutting geometric patterns of any shape to achieve very fine results. In addition, a CCD camera can also be configured in the CO2 laser cutting machine. It creates positioning marks and automatically compensates for cutting paths, enabling fast and precise cuts even with irregular patterns.
Non-contact machining, neither tool wear nor damage to the workpiece.
Laser cutting uses a laser beam to thermally separate materials. During the whole process, the laser cutting head is not in direct contact with the material, and will not wear the tool like other cutting tools. This saves on consumable costs. Because of the non-contact machining, the surface of the material is not stressed, which does not cause any damage to the workpiece.
Fast cutting
The laser cutting machine is less affected by the environment, can achieve high energy output in a short time, and the cutting speed is fast. In particular, the fiber laser cutting machine has an irreplaceable role in the metal cutting process. No tools are needed to fix the metal plate during the processing, saving the time of clamping the workpiece and improving the work efficiency of the workshop.
Laser cutting machines are commonly used equipment in today's industry for cutting various materials. When using the laser cutting process, care should be taken to select the appropriate laser power and set the correct cutting parameters, which will allow you to obtain unparalleled workpiece quality.
This article explains how laser cutting machines work and what materials the different types of machines are suitable for. Find which laser machine you need for your workshop, chat online now for help.
How Laser Cutting Machine works
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